The Best and Worst of Batman

A free article on Movies

By: globalbpo1

What do you expect of a comic book adaptation? You want the thrill that you get when reading the comic books amplified as you watch the action come to life on big screen. The first Batman movie in 1966, with Adam West, might have failed at this. It is difficult to look up to Batman when he is wearing spandex and riding a helicopter that has bat wings attached to it. Thanks to Tim Burton, audiences got their first look on a great and justified Batman adaptation in 1989.

The Tim Burton adaptations did not fail. Firstly, he captured the essence of Batman – dark, mysterious, quiet but dangerous. The Batsuit and the Batmobile were intimidating as should be. Even the depiction of Gotham City was excellent. It reflected the ruin and darkness that crime brings. Secondly, the cast had a natural likeness to the characters they were portraying. Playing Batman is not much of a challenge as playing Bruce Wayne. Any man with good built and body coordination can put on a Batsuit and play the part. The challenge really is Bruce Wayne. Batman is focused and certain. He knows what he wants and what he must do to get that. Bruce Wayne is confused. He meets a girl and wants to take a shot in having a normal life but is driven in being a masked vigilante. Michael Keaton did great in portraying these two sides of the hero. He was stern and overwhelming when he was in the suit, but without it he can even be a baffled romantic.

One great thing about Batman is that he has interesting villains. A fight between the Joker and Batman would have to be the most interesting. The Joker is the exact opposite of the serious Batman. Jack Nicholson is a perfect fit for the character and has that natural sinister smile. The other Tim Burton adaptation villains were also exemplary. Who could have done a sexier and more enticing Catwoman than Michelle Pfeiffer? The Catwoman role differs from that of Batman in the sense that not every curvy body can put on the Catsuit and be Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer had the right moves, the right voice and, even when masked, the right look. The role of Penguin also could not have been done better than Danny DeVito. He made Penguin look like a pitiful harmless victim at one point and a scary mad man at another. Shifts in character like that could only be pulled off by great actors such as DeVito.

The two Batman movies that followed were handed over to director Joel Schumacher. These two movies broke the great Batman installments that Burton started. The dark, mysterious, quiet but dangerous Batman was gone. The Schumacher installments made our gothic superhero into a mainstream stereotypical comic book spectacle. Batman Forever with Val Kilmer in 1995 was actually forgivable. But Batman and Robin in 1997 just killed our hero. George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell’s roles were trying to be comedic, which is supposed to be the quality of Batman’s nemeses. The villains were also turned into stereotypical characters. They lacked the depth and dynamism of the previous villains, making Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze not challenging, dull and even silly villains.

After much disappointment, Batman was again the favorite superhero come 2005. Christopher Nolan, a remarkable director and writer, took on the installment and brought back the dark, mysterious, quiet but dangerous Batman.

The Nolan installments are definitely the best. Like Tim Burton, Nolan got the essence of the dynamic and interesting characters. Aside from the astounding cinematography and visual effects that were not possible during Burton’s time, Nolan’s version is better because it did not have the comic book feel. There were no silly-looking costumes and the plot was logical. The flaw in most comic book adaptations is that characters get soaked with chemicals and suddenly they change from an honest humble character to a ravaging superhuman menace. It’s like they could not think of any way to make villains and heroes that they take the formulaic plot. Batman Begins in 2005 gave characters history; human and logical reasons to turn into the way they are. Now we know why Batman is such a serious character. Who would not lose his cheer if his parents were killed in front of him when he was a kid, fell in a bat cave, and grew up without any challenge because he was left with a hefty inheritance? We also know how Bruce Wayne got to be such a great fighter since he trained in the East. The choice of villain was also good. The Scarecrow, though not a famous enemy, is a good call. He is more human than the other villains like Poison Ivy who could have passed in a carnival show. The Scarecrow’s weapon, drugs, is real and presented a real challenge to Batman. Such realism and logic is difficult to achieve in a comic book adaptation, but Batman Begins did it without being unfaithful to the original characters.

Just recently, the much awaited sequel to the Batman installments hit the theaters. And with no surprise, it did not disappoint. Firstly, the choice of the next villain was great. After an unknown yet challenging villain in the previous movie, Batman is ready to face the Joker.

Heath Ledger is a perfect Joker. Everything – his walk, voice, make-up, mannerisms and of course the laugh – is incredibly haunting. Heath Ledger captured the insane and disturbing character of the Joker perfectly. The way he annoys and taunts Batman makes him the most interesting and likeable villain. His sarcasm will actually make you laugh. What separates this Joker from other villains is that this one is so smart you cannot expect what he’s going to do next. Heath Ledger made the most liked and admired villain in comic book adaptation history.

Aside from the Joker, everything else in the movie was amazing. The rest of the cast were great as well. Maggie Gyllenhal put more character and spunk in Rachel more than Katie Holmes did. Christian Bale again, did great as Batman and as Bruce Wayne. The very lovable Harvey Dent was also portrayed well by Aaron Eckhart. There were no dull moments and like the first movie, there was logic in the plot. There were no unecessary cheesy scenes. The suspense will keep you at your seat’s edge for the whole two and a half hours of the film. Just when you think the movie is about to end, it is just beginning. This has to be the most awe-inspiring Batman adaptation yet, as it clearly captured the meaning of the Dark Knight.